THE PACIFIC OCEAN; 
body have agreed to pay the monarch. It is a particular 
privilege annexed to his fovereignty, not to be punctured, 
nor circumciled, as all his fubjeCts are. Whenever he 
walks out, every one whom he meets muft lit down till he 
has paffed. No one is allowed to be over his head; on the 
contrary, all muft come under his feet; for there cannot 
be a greater outward mark of fubmiflion, than that which 
is paid to the lovereign, and other great people of thefe 
illands, by their inferiors. The method is this; the perfon 
who is to pay obeifance, fquats down before the Chief, 
and bows the head to the foie of his foot; which, when he 
fits, is fo placed, that it can be eaftly come at; and, having 
tapped, or touched it with the under and upper tide of the 
lingers of both hands, he rifes up, and retires. It fhould 
feem, that the king cannot refufe any one who choofes to 
pay him this homage, which is called moe moea ; for the 
common people would frequently take it into their heads to 
do it when he was walking; and he was always obliged to 
ftop, and hold up one of his feet behind him, till they had 
performed the ceremony. This, to a heavy unwieldy man, 
like Poulaho, muft be attended with fome trouble and pain; 
and I have, fometimes, feen him make a run, though very 
unable, to get out of the way, or to reach a place where he 
might conveniently fit down. The hands, after this appli¬ 
cation of them to the Chief’s feet, are, in fome cafes, ren¬ 
dered ulelefs for a time; for, until they be walhed, they 
muft not touch any kind of food. This interdiction, in a 
country where water is fo fcarce, would feem to be attend¬ 
ed with fome inconvenience; but they are never at a lofs 
for a fuccedaneum ; and a piece of any juicy plant, which 
they can eaftly procure immediately, being rubbed upon 
them, this ferves for the purpofe of purification, as well as 
Vol. I. 3 G walhing 
409 
1777. 
July. 
I, H m 1 
